Strictly Business
by Californiapoppy5
Summary: Troy is an important business man with a disappointing past and a business rival who is his former best friend. Gabriella is stuck being an assistant but is determined to get on top of the corporate ladder. When they cross paths, they have an unusual business deal. When it's all said and done will they have the real deal or did they just use each other to get ahead?
1. Mole

**Strictly Business**

"Seven Million fucking dollars!" Troy Bolton slammed his fists on the table, making the whole room of people jump. "That is how much we lost to Danforth Enterprises on one contract. ONE!" His normal light blue eyes were as dark as the deepest part of the ocean. "I should fire each and every one of your sorry asses."

"Mr. Bolt-"

He raised his hand to shut his assistant up. "If you don't get me the next four contracts that Danforth should be lined up for, I'm going to hire a whole new Board of Men who will actually fucking work! Get the fuck back to work." Troy growled. "Now."

The twelve workers silently filed out of his office. One remained. His loyal assistant Kelsi. Sure she was scared shitless of her boss but she did a hell of a job. She was one of his closest friends. He smacked his empty coffee cup that remained on the table. "Troy." She said quietly. She only knew to call him by his first name when they were alone. Anything else would be deemed inappropriate.

"Seven Million dollars Kelsi." He exasperated. "They don't understand a contract like that they would each get a weeks paid vacation. They don't want vacations apparently. They want to dick around and not seal contracts that my five year old niece could have closed."

"Do you want another coffee, sir?" Kelsi asked timidly.

He nodded his head. "Yes, get yourself some dinner as well. It's going to be a long fucking night."

"Yes sir." She said walking out of the room.

He took a deep breath, looking out of the window. He slid his hand down his face slowly. He turned on his heels and walked back to his office. "Zeke." He bellowed.

"Yes, sir." The man said, standing up.

"How is the Smith contract?" Troy asked, straightening his tie.

"It's in the bag sir." Zeke said with a wide grin.

"That's what I like to hear." Troy patted his shoulder and he walked away. He took a seat behind his desk and leaned back. He ran his fingers through his hair before turning to his computer. "I need something over Danforth." He murmured to himself.

"Talking to yourself, Bolton? Figures you'll go crazy before you get ahead of me again."

"Danforth, what are you doing here?" Troy asked, standing up. He saw a beautiful young brunette standing next to Danforth. "What do you want?"

"Just seeing if you saw the numbers come in. By that look I'm guessing you have." Danforth smirked. "Conrad was happy to do business with Danforth Enterprises. Word on the street is we have Five Mill over Bolton and Associates."

"It's actually uh Eight Million, Mr. Danforth." The pretty brunette said.

Danforth grinned at the woman. "Of course, as my lovely new assistant Gabriella was saying, Eight Million big ones." He gave Troy a smirk. "Have a nice night Bolton."

Troy narrowed his eyes as Danforth walked out of his office, the pretty brunette following. He waited for the door to close before he let out a groan of frustration. "Fuck!" Troy yelled, taking a seat. He needed to get a grip, and he needed to do it now.

"Samantha." He called his receptionist on the phone.

"Yes Mr. Bolton. How can I help you?" She answered cheerfully.

"I need you to contact Kelsi. Tell her to find out everything she can on a Gabriella that works for Danforth. Preferably before she gets back from dinner. When she gets here, send her up and you can go home." He said, clearing his throat.

"Yes Mr. Bolton. Anything else?"

"No, thank you Samantha. Keep up the good work." He said, hanging up the phone. He turned on the chair and shuffled through some files in the cabinet behind him. He pulled out the Conrad contracts to find out where it possibly went wrong.

Kelsi walked into his office with a stack of papers and a Styrofoam box of food. "Dinner sir. Coffee and Gabriella Montez." She placed the papers on his table.

"Give me a brief overview." He said, opening his box. His stomach rumbled when he saw the tacos.

"Gabriella Juliet Montez. Born San Diego, California. May 14, 1989. Twenty four years old. Graduated from Sunset High School, Stanford University with Bachelor's degree- Pre-law. Went on to Yale where she studied Law but changed her major to Business and got her masters there. She moved to Albuquerque six months ago. She was his intern for three and was hired full time three months ago." Kelsi explained. "I don't know what she has to do with the Conrad deal."

His eyes shot up and wiped her mouth. "Six months ago they were half a million in the hole. How can they get so much money in such a little amount of time? Of course she has something to do with it. Please tell me why our HR didn't hire her."

"She hadn't even applied sir. It's speculated that she was approached by Danforth while she was still in school." Kelsi said, pushing her hair back. "Do you need anything else, sir?"

"No thank you Kelsi." He said, dismissively. "Tell Samantha to go home if she hasn't left already. Make your rounds, if anybody is off task send them here with their desk packed. I'm not putting up with anything tonight. Dismiss them at nine thirty."

"Yes sir." She said with a quick nod. She walked out and shut the door. Troy ate his tacos reading up on this beautiful creature that was Gabriella Montez..

* * *

Gabriella Montez worked her ass off in everything she did. She was raised by a single mother who didn't have much else but a steady job and enough money to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. She promised her mother that one day she would never have to work again. That is why when Chad Danforth, a strong business man who was also her former college roommates lover, approached her with a intern opportunity she had to take it.

She was there for three months and in that three months of minimum wage, she made Danforth Enterprises a very large fortune. They were in a pit of despair and Gabriella, initially, saved them. She worked for hours on end, doing what she had to do to make a name for herself. Being Chad Danforth's personal monkey was not in her plans at all. She wanted to be a partner, a part of the board. She wanted to get things done and not pick up his laundry and make his coffee.

Danforth insisted on having her as his personal assistant. He knew she could trust her and he knew she'd do anything he asked of her. She still worked mercilessly with his 'top' agents, a bunch of idiots that didn't know what they were doing. She always wanted more and she was going to get more, no matter what she had to do.

It wasn't odd of her to be leaving Danforth Enterprises at two in the morning. Everybody else had gone home except night security. What was odd though, was to see Troy Bolton standing in front of his car, smoking a cigarette. She did her research on Mr. Bolton but was yet to make an opinion about him. His credentials were flawless but looking at him now he didn't seem like the type of person to be in this business.

"Surprise, Surprise. Danforth keeping you locked up until the wee hours of the morning? That's against his better judgment if you ask me." Mr. Bolton asked. Gabriella jumped, even though she was blatantly staring at him. She opened her mouth to find words. "I was kidding." He said, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stomping on it.

"I'm always here late." She said, meeting him in the middle of the dead street.

"As am I. I'm surprised I haven't noticed you before. It's probably because I wasn't paying attention. I would have remembered if I'd seen a beautiful girl like you." He spoke softly.

She licked her lips. "I'm surprised you're here late. Don't you have people to work for you?"

"Of course. My workers have families. I value family and I let them spend time with theirs. I have none and I am the boss so if I have to stay late to pick up the slack, I will." He said, strongly. He loosened the tie around his neck.

She smirked slightly. "You must not get out much then."

"Nope." He admitted, shaking his head. "I work too damn hard to spend my money on booze."

"But you'll spend it on cigarettes?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

He shrugged. "They'll kill me faster."

"Wow. Such negativity from a man with a multi-million dollar corp." She pushed her hair back. "Wait until Danforth hears that."

"Danforth knows my ways. We were practically brothers growing up. We graduated together, played ball together, went off to college together…"

Gabriella frowned, tilting her head. "Where did it all go sour?"

"Like I said. I value family, Chad Danforth, does not." He pulled out another cigarette from his pack. He placed it between his lips and lit it. He blew out a puff of smoke away from her face. "Miss the hell out of that asshole though. Wish it was back to old times."

"Danforth said you were soft. Didn't think it was actually true." Gabriella said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mr. Bolton just shrugged. "He always has to beat me at everything. One day, he's going to lose everything."

"Why do you say that?"

"He'll get greedy, his employees will walk out. I have a better health plan." Bolton said with a shrug, blowing another round of smoke away from her face.

"You don't think you're too soft?" She asked, tilting her head, again.

"If one of my employees get out of hand, I'll toss them out in a heartbeat. I have strict rules and I expect them to be followed." He murmured. "If you ever want a job, you know where my office is." He looked down at his watch. "I have to go. I have to get up in five… well four in a half hours."

"It was nice talking to you Mr. Bolton."

"Likewise Ms. Montez." He said, turning back to walk back to his car. She watched him a little bit longer. When his cigarette went out, she made her way to her car. She was glad Danforth went home early. She would have been in deep shit for talking to Bolton like that. Any association with Bolton was prohibited. It was in her contract..

She drove to her apartment. Tomorrow was her day off. She got to sleep in and finally do things she wanted to do. She was going to get her nails done and call her mom. She was excited for a day full of relaxation. She sunk into her bed after changing. She shut her eyelids only to see a pair of dazzling blue eyes. Bolton was haunting her dreams. Damn him for being so good looking.

* * *

Troy Bolton couldn't sleep. He'd been hyped up on caffeine for the last three years. He did rest his body. Sometimes his injured knee ached and he thought about what might have been. He was in a car crash when he was eighteen. He shattered his knee and had some lingering neck pain. It'd been ten years later but he still felt the pain of disappointment creep up on him.

He was supposed to be a superstar. He was supposed to be playing ball for the Red Hawks after graduation. He was supposed to be in the NBA right now. He was supposed to have millions of dollars and four championship rings on his fingers. He was supposed to be married with a couple kids. But here he was, resting helplessly in his house, taking care of his parents who were down the hall. Mom had been sick off and on for a couple years and Dad was getting older.

His sister Emily was six years older than him. She moved out of state when she got married and pregnant. His only niece was five, her name Karlie. He loved his niece like she was his own. He only got to see her a couple times a year due to his busy schedule. He missed seeing her little face and hearing her silly jokes. He made a mental note to go surprise them soon.

He turned over facing the giant window that looked out over the whole city of Albuquerque. He could see his building and Danforth's. He saw East high and West. The lights of the city were shining bright for a Thursday night. He heard a ping go off on his phone. He picked it up and answered it immediately. "Bolton."

"Hello, Sir. It's Kelsi. We just lost the Smith and the Robertson contracts to Danforth. Something is going terribly, terribly wrong." She panted.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." He leaned back on his bed, shutting his eyes. "Fuck. Meet me at work in an hour. Do as much research into it as you can."

"Yes, sir." Kelsi said.

Troy hung up the phone angrily. He jumped into the shower and taking his time before he got dressed in one of his suits. He slicked his hair back quickly before washing his hands. He grabbed everything he needed before he walked out of his bedroom. He lit a cigarette on the way to his car. What the hell was going on with his company?

He thought carefully over the cigarette burning in between his fingers. He stomped it out before he raced over to Starbucks. He got coffee and some bagels for breakfast. He walked into work and went straight up to his floor. Kelsi was waiting for him at his desk with her laptop in front of her.

"Brought you coffee and a bagel." He said, setting hers on the table. "Tell me what you know so far."

"Smith and Robertson were almost locked. They had a two million contract just waiting to be signed. Danforth swooped in with a four mill for both. Smith is in England. He signed it four hours ago. Somebody has to know something on the other side." Kelsi said, taking a long drink of her coffee.

"What do you mean? Like giving them the names of our clients and a play by play of what were doing?" He asked, scratching his stubble that was coming in quickly.

"I think we have a mole, Mr. Bolton."

"That is the last fucking thing I need right now Kelsi." Troy groaned, putting his hands over his face. "What am I going to do?"

"You have to find out who it is." Kelsi said simply.

"How am I going to do that?"

"It's going to be tough. Danforth has made talking to you forbidden in his employment contracts."

"What?"

Kelsi sighed, typing away on her computer. "He has to be doing this under the table to get the upper hand."

"Jesus Christ. Danforth has always been a sore loser." Troy shook his head.

Kelsi licked her lips. "I was reading up on the Conrad contract. You were thinking Gabriella Montez has something to do with his sudden success. Turns out I went to school with her former roommate, Taylor McKessie."

Troy looked over at her, interested. "Oh yeah?"

"Taylor is crazy smart. She's going into politics. You'll never guess what I found out." Kelsi said with a small smirk.

"What is that?" He asked, sitting back.

"She's sleeping with Danforth to get the funds she needs to start her political campaign for Mayor of Albuquerque."

Troy smiled. "Keep going."

"I talked to her before I went to sleep last night. She's moving down here next month. She has to get her campaign together before July. Also we talked about her roommate. Turns out little Miss Gabriella Montez will do anything to get her name in the business. She's not very happy being Danforth's slave."

"You're happy being my slave right?" Troy asked, with a teasing smile on his face.

"Of course, I am. Shut up Troy."

He laughed good naturedly. "She'll do anything to get ahead, huh?" Kelsi nodded. "She's a hot little thing, let me tell you. I think I know the just the offer she couldn't possibly refuse." He said, ideas formulating in his head.

"Do you need anything else, sir?"

"Go put the bagels in the break room. People should be coming in soon. I have to have a little time to work on my plan." He said, grinning.

"Yes sir." Kelsi said just before she grabbed her things and slipped out of the office door.

* * *

Gabriella Montez woke up and looked at her alarm clock. She freaked out internally for a moment thinking she was late to work. She forgot it was her day off for a moment. She stretched her back, feeling refreshed. She took her time getting ready and eating breakfast. She sat comfortably on the couch as she dialed her moms number.

"Good morning." Her mother, Maria answered.

"Hey Mama." Gabriella replied. "How's home?"

"It's good, I've been working a lot still since you've been gone." Maria sighed. "When are you going to visit me?"

"When I get the time off. I barely have a day off. It took me three months to get this. Danforth will probably call me in anyway." Gabriella said, sighing. "I'm enjoying it while I can. How's the beach?"

"Wonderful here. Is it hot there?"

"It's nearing monsoon season." She relaxed against her couch. "I miss the beach."

"If you come home, you can spend the whole time with me at the beach." Her mother bribed.

Gabriella frowned. "Don't tempt me." She frowned further when she heard a knock at her door. "Mom, let me call you back, there's someone at the door."

"My lunch is at noon." She reminded. "Talk then. I love you baby."

"Love you too mama." Gabriella hung up before she went to her door. She looked out her peep hole but it seemed to be blocked. She opened her door with the chain lock still in tact. She frowned again when she saw who it was. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." The man said. "Please let me in."

She sighed, shutting the door. She unlocked the door and opened it, letting the man in. "What are you doing-" He was cut off by his lips against hers. She was too shocked to move. He pressed her up against the door, lifting her effortlessly off the ground, holding her thighs.

He pressed his arousal against her as he slid his tongue in her mouth. She clung onto him desperately. It was all so dangerous, spontaneous, utterly sexy. She couldn't help but kiss him back. The man clearly knew what he was doing. He pushed her up, putting only one of his arms under her ass for support. His other hand moved up her shirt, palming her bare breast. His fingers pinched and rolled her nipple causing her to gasp against his mouth.

He pulled away suddenly, placing her on the ground. He held her steady with his hands on her hips. His blue eyes bore into hers intensely. He took a moment to catch his breath before he spoke. "There is somebody in my company working for Danforth. You're going to find out who it is. You're going to tell me even if I have to fuck it out of you. I'll get you anything you want. You have my word." He pressed another harsh kiss to her lips.

"Mr. Bolton-" She said breathlessly, watching him back away from her.

She took a step closer and he stepped around her to open her door. "I'm counting on you, Gabriella." He said firmly. He fixed his tie before he walked out, closing the door behind him.

Gabriella stared at her door. She didn't understand what just happened. She blinked her eyes a couple times. She even pinched himself to see if she was dreaming. She wasn't. She could still taste his sweet coffee flavored kiss. She could even smell him. The biggest give away was the uncomfortable dampness in between her legs. "Holy fuck."

* * *

**New story. I'll update once a month until i finish up Co-parenting. Hope y'all like it. Don't forget to review.**


	2. Day off

Gabriella Montez walked into work Monday morning with her head high. She had two coffees in her hand, her laptop bag and her purse. The elevator attendant pressed the top button for her. She thanked him with a smile. When the doors opened she walked in. She knocked on Danforth's office door. She heard a call to wait so she shifted her bags as best she could and waited.

It was a rare occasion for Danforth to beat her to the office but he did have her run ridiculous errands before she got here. She moved out of the way of the doors when they opened. "I'll see you next week for the game Baylor."

"Later Chad." The dark man walked out of the doors, waving. He winked at Gabriella before walking to the elevator.

She turned to Danforth. "Coffee." She handed it to him. "Everything you had me do is done." Gabriella said, following him into his office.

"Thank You Gabi. You're the best." He looked down at his calendar. "Can you get a reservation for two at the Vineyard on the 17th please?"

"Taking Taylor out?" She asked with a small grin.

Chad grinned. "I sure am. A beautiful girl like her deserves the best."

"Yes she does." Gabriella flipped her hair. "I'll get you the special room."

"You're the best." Chad said as Gabriella turned to walk out.

"I know." She said, putting her hand up for a wave. She took a seat at her desk and her phone rang immediately. "Danforth Enterprises, Gabriella Montez speaking."

"Did you find out yet?"

She tensed up. She prayed nobody was listening in. "No, don't call this number." She said quickly before hanging up. She shook her head to herself, pulling out her laptop. She looked up the restaurants phone number and called to make the reservation.

Gabriella's cell phone beeped. _'Meet up tonight? We need to talk.'_

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." She mumbled to herself.

"Excuse me." The woman on the phone said.

"Sorry, um not you." Gabriella mentally slapped herself. "The seventeenth. The private room."

"Name for the reservation?" The woman asked.

"Chad Danforth."

"Oh, of course. Mr. Danforth will only have the best." The woman said. "It is booked. Tell Mr. Danforth we are looking forward to seeing him again."

"I will, Thank you." She said, before hanging up the phone. She sighed, picking up the phone. She replied to the text message. _'How did you even get my number?' _She felt stupid for even asking that. He was Troy Bolton. He could get anybody's number.

'_I have my ways. Are we meeting up or not?'_

'_No.' _She sent back with a satisfied smirk on her face. She needed to get back to work. She put her phone on vibrate, keeping it in her lap. She did paperwork until Chad Danforth sent her on her next ridiculous task.

* * *

Troy Bolton was fuming. Nobody told him no. She did. She straight up told him no. He couldn't believe it. He pounded his fists on his desk before he called Kelsi in. "Kelsi." He growled.

"Yes, sir." She said as she walked into the room.

"I need you to send me the Chen and Montoya contracts. I'm going to close them myself. We need these, desperately. Also, send me the ones that are closing tomorrow. Check up on Wall Street. We're going to have to shmooze the investors for a worst case scenario." He smoothed his hair back. "Everybody leaves at seven tonight, including you." Bolton said, looking up at the Auburn haired girl.

"Yes sir." She was scribbling as he was talking. "Anything else?"

"Keep investigating the mole situation." He said, checking through his thoughts. "Oh, how much do you think four year undergrad tuition to Stanford costs?"

Kelsi looked back at her boss confused. "80 thousand... possibly more… Do I even want to know why?"

"No, no you don't." Troy murmured, scratching his stubble. "That's all. Thank you Kelsi."

"You're welcome, Sir." Kelsi said, turning and walking out.

He pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check. He walked into his in office bathroom and shaved everything but the mustache that was coming in. He checked himself over and went back to his desk. He set up his video chat cameras up to the screens in the wall. Kelsi walked back in with two contracts and went on about her day.

He flipped through the contracts, making sure everything was covered. He checked the company's stock, glad it was up three points from yesterday. He smiled when he saw Danforth was down six points. He licked his lips and replied to some e-mails while he was on the computer.

A beeping on his computer caught his attention. He checked the time. He turned on the screen and grinned at the Asian man that was on the screen. He greeted Mr. Chen in his native language and discussed the contract. After successfully closing the Chen contract for five million dollars, Mr. Montoya appeared on his screen.

At Seven, he started packing up his office. Kelsi was the last out, saying goodbye to Bolton before she left. He opened his office doors and stared at his empty office. He sighed. The building was big. The top four floors were workers. The top floor consisted of his receptionist, Kelsi, himself and his board of men. He figured he best start there.

He quickly searched through the whole floor and found nothing. He figured he wasn't doing a very good job. He went a floor lower with his things. He stood on the balcony that overlooked the street. He lit a cigarette. For the first time in his life he felt like he was in over his head. His business was getting out of hand. One of his workers turned against him. Now that Danforth was ahead, he was the ultimate frenemy. He stared at Danforth's building. He wondered what Gabriella Montez was doing and when she was leaving work.

Troy puffed on his cigarette, contemplating. He wanted to continue looking but he also wanted to go home. He wanted to get some sleep for once. Work always came first. He was too important for it to not. He sighed, flicking his ashes into the tray.

"Oh Mr. Bolton, you're still here." Barry, the security guard said.

Troy looked back, waving Barry over. "I need to ask you a question Barry."

"Yes, sir." Barry murmured, watching the cigarette in his bosses hand.

Bolton put out the cigarette before turning to him. "Has anybody came up to my floors other than the cleaning people, when I am not here?"

"Ms. Kelsi has." Barry said after a moment to think. "She and you and me are the only people to have the keys to the locks."

Troy nodded. "Good, good. Has anybody left after Kelsi, if I left early?"

"No, sir." Barry shook his head. Troy sighed. "Have the alarms been going off?"

"No, Barry. I have a mole. Somebody is telling Danforth my play by play. He's ahead and quite frankly, I don't like that." Troy rubbed the back of his neck. "I do all I can for you guys. I have the best health plan, the best dental. My workers are paid the highest in Albuquerque. I don't understand."

"I'm sure it's nothing personal, Mr. Bolton." Barry said wearily.

Bolton shook his head. "Everything is personal with Danforth." He cleared his throat, standing up. He saw the pretty brunette leave the building across the street. His eyes followed her to her car. "How much do I pay you Barry?"

"!2.50" Barry said, looking at his boss confused.

"Are you my mole?" Troy asked seriously.

"With all do respect, sir. I know nothing about the business you do. I don't let anybody in. I've never been late or missed a day. I would never do anything to make me lose my job. I have a wife and four kids." Barry said, looking a little scared and appalled.

Troy grinned, surprising the man next to him. "I thank you, sincerely, for the hard work you do. I'll see it that you have enough to take care of your family, Barry. I can't wait to meet them at the company picnic this year. I hope you come."

"Of course, sir." Barry nodded.

"I have some business to take care off, I'll see you tomorrow night." Troy said, fixing his tie.

"Have a good night, sir." Barry said, holding the door open.

Troy grabbed his things and got into the elevator. He pressed the ground level button and rolled his shoulders then his neck. Once the doors opened he walked out to his car, getting in. He drove to his house and put his things in his room. He ripped his check from the book and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. He said goodnight to his parents before he got into his car again.

* * *

Gabriella Montez hung up her phone with her mother. She got off pretty early. Danforth was pissed off for some reason, letting everybody go early. She cooked herself a nice dinner and had a glass of wine. She took a relaxing bath and was now in her night shirt and panties watching some Lifetime movie. She was enjoying the time to herself. She groaned aloud when that was ruined by knocking.

"Coming." She called out when the banging wouldn't stop. She opened the door, tossing her damp curls to the side. "What are you doing here?"

"Nobody ever says no to me." Troy Bolton said calmly. "May I come in?"

She sighed, letting him in. "What?"

"Do you know?" He asked, fighting to keep his eyes on her face.

"No." She said, crossing her arms, making her short shirt ride up.

He took a calming breath, letting his eyes drift down her legs. "Look, I need your help and I need to know if you're going to help me or not." He said, his eyes shooting up to her face.

"I thought I was helping you." She said with a small smirk. "I need to know what I'm going to get out of it."

He sighed, opening his jacket. He picked the check from his pocket. "This should cover a lot." He handed over the paper. "Some of your school loans, or all of them. Seeing you had partial scholarships to both Yale and Stanford."

She stared at the check in awe. "What kind of stalker are you?"

"I'm not a stalker babe. I do research. I'm a business man. I do research on the people I do business with." He said. "It's yours."

"I can't take this…"

"Take it." He said firmly. "Tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything."

Troy closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gabriella, I'm being serious here. My reputation is on the line."

"I don't know!" She stressed.

Troy groaned in annoyance and sexual frustration. He grabbed her hips and pulled her against him. He kissed her lips firmly. "How did you get the Conrad contract?" He asked before he kissed her firmly again. He picked her up, pressing her up against the door.

"I don't-"

Troy walked her over to the couch, laying her down. He left hot kisses down her neck. "I don't want to hear I don't know from you anymore." He husked. "I want answers and I'm going to get answers."

Gabriella pushed his jacket off his shoulders, pulling his lips back to hers. He worked his hands under her night shirt, peeling it off her. He kissed down her chest before he covered her left nipple with his mouth. "Oh god." She panted lightly. She gripped is hair, tugging on it firmly.

Troy ripped his mouth away from her chest. "I'm going to ask you, one more time." He said quickly before he covered her other nipple. His fingers were already pulling her panties to the side. He groaned against her skin when his fingers came in contact with her well groomed intimacy. His fingers petted her soft outer lips just before worked the tip of his finger into her heat.

"Oh please." She bit down on her lip. Her eyes were shut tight. Her hands were still tangled in his hair. She moved her hips trying to get him to move. He worked her nipple between his teeth gently.

"Tell me about the Conrad contract." Troy whispered, pulling away from her breast. He slid his long finger into her heat excruciatingly slow.

"He just told me that-" She gasped when he worked a second finger in. "That I needed to wait until m-midnight to make the higher offer." She moaned, shutting her eyes. "He said that y-you wouldn't check on it again."

Troy moved his fingers in her quickly. "Damn him." He grumbled quietly. His thumb pressed down against her clit. He covered his lips with hers as he curled up his fingers, pressing them quickly to her most sensitive spot.

"Oh fuck, Troy." She cried out, gripping his hair. She released one hand to rub his bulge through his slacks. Troy hissed out, biting her bottom lip firmly.

"Come for me." He demanded after he tugged against her lip. "Let it go baby." He husked, pressing a kiss to her lips again.

She tried her hardest not to unravel at his words but it was all too much. "Oh. Tr-" She tossed her head back, moaning. Her body convulsed under his and her walls constricted around her fingers as he continued to fuck her mercilessly with his hand. She lay with her eyes closed breathing heavily. He slid his fingers out of her, brushing against her clit to make her hips buck up. He replaced her underwear before sucking on his fingers.

He kissed her long and hard, making sure she tastes herself on his mouth. "Next time, I want my answers." He said, climbing off of her. He grabbed his jacket, pulling it on. "Sleep tight." He murmured before walking out of her front door.

She opened her eyes when the door closed. She was bare-chested, exposed to her living room. She was still breathing heavily. Her whole body was warm. She licked her lips, still tasting herself. He just left her, she was aroused and tired. Part of her wished he stayed and took her on the couch. She sat up, shrugging on her shirt before walking to her bedroom for the night.

* * *

For the first time in a long time Troy Bolton actually slept through the night. He actually slept in and overslept. Kelsi was calling non-stop to make sure he was alright. He answered the fourth call, letting her know that he wasn't coming in. He was so exhausted he rolled over and went back to sleep.

He was woken up again by Carla, his cleaning lady. She was vacuuming down stairs. He got up and checked the time. He took a shower and got dressed casually. He couldn't remember the last time he didn't wear a suit. He grabbed his gym bag and headed off to work out.

He was in need to work off his sexual frustration. He tried not to think about what happened last night. When he did he got hard almost instantly. He didn't want it to come up in a serious situation. He already knew he was going to be very sore by the time he left the gym. Troy just had to get it over with. He had to get last night out of his head and clear his mind.

Troy felt refreshed and sore when he walked out of the gym. He drove over to East High where his dad worked. His father was a basketball coach and a gym teacher. Troy walked through the familiar halls of East High, straight to the gym. He knew that's where his dad was going to be.

"Troy?" He heard a voice from behind him as he entered the gym.

"Hey Dad." He said, turning around.

"What are you doing here?" Jack Bolton asked his son.

"Just stopping by. I took the day off. I needed some sleep and some exercise." Troy said, picking up a basketball off the floor. He bounced it a couple times.

"Your mom said you were still sleeping when she left this morning." Jack said, pushing a cart of stuff into the sports storage locker. "Do we need to have a little game?"

"I haven't play ball in years Dad." He said, running his fingers over the familiar bumps of the basketball.

"I'm fifty-five. Humor me." Jack said, closing the door. He waved his hands and Troy passed his father the ball. Jack dribbled the ball across the floor to Troy. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"Where to start?" Troy thought aloud. "I've been loosing contracts to Danforth left and right."

"You always have." Jack said with a shrug.

"Big contracts. High profile clients. Seven million, dad." He said, smacking the ball out of his fathers hand. He shot the ball and it bounced off the hoop. "I have a mole."

"Where?" Jack said, looking at his sons face.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Not that kind. I have an employee who is also working for Danforth. He has this new assistant that is crazy smart and beautiful and I've never wanted someone so much in my life. I feel like everything is just slipping out of my control and I don't know how to get it back." Troy admitted with a sigh. "The only person I talk to about this is to Kelsi. Lord knows she has enough on her plate dealing with the rest of my bullshit."

Jack sighed. "Son, you need to take a moment and breathe."

"There's just so much to do."

"I know, believe me. I know. You're going to have to relax. You're going to have a heart attack if you keep stressing out. You're twenty eight years old. You're going to have gray hair before you're thirty, son." Troy looked at him, horrified. Jack chuckled. "Relax, Troy."

"Dad."

"You need to take a vacation son. Go up and see your sister. Go to the Bahamas. You need to get away for a while." Jack pointed out.

Troy nodded in agreement. "Once I find out who it is, I'll take everybody on vacation."

"Better make it soon, I only have three months off." Jack joked. "You need to find happiness again, Troy. When you got in the accident-"

"Don't talk about the accident, please." Troy said shutting his eyes.

"Fine." Jack sighed. "When you couldn't play basketball anymore, I saw that look in your eyes. You were depressed for days, years even. You got to watch Chad-"

"Dad!"

"Fine. You know where I'm going with this. You haven't been happy for a while. Your mom worries about you. We just want you to be happy."

"I know Dad." Troy said with a sigh. "I will be, one day."

"I know you will. Make it happen. You were always a do-er." Jack walked away, picking up the basketball. He walked back to his son, handing it to Troy. "Your mom and I are so proud of you."

Troy bounced the basketball in his hands. "I know you are." He licked his lips. "I just need to get everything back on track."

"I have faith in you son." Jack patted his back. "You said something about a girl."

"I've known her for a week." Troy breathed out. "I paid her eighty thousand to help me."

"Dollars?!" Jack said, looking at his son like he was crazy.

"It's complicated."

"Sounds complicated." Jack smirked.

"She's just… different. It's refreshing." Troy said, twirling the ball on his finger.

"Wow." Jack said, watching his son. "Are you going to ask her out?"

"Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe? You obviously like her."

Troy nodded, his dad had a point. "Maybe after everything calms down."

Jack took the ball from his son and shot it. The ball went in the basket effortlessly. "Don't wait too long."

"I'll try not to." Troy replied before walking away to get the ball.

* * *

**As promised here is Strictly Business. Please tell me what you think. I feel like the first chapter is always the best, but i want to do this story justice. It's probably going to be shorter than usual ten to fifteen chapters, maybe more if i get hit with inspiration. Um, Ya'll rock for all those reviews on the first chapter. I'm hoping for the same amount, maybe even more. Review if you like it, review if you hate it. Just feedback will be nice. I'll try to get out a new chapter before next month but we'll see. Can y'all believe it's already December? I can't. Happy holidays! Be safe! Don't forget to review!**


	3. idea

Gabriella Montez always walked with a purpose. Whether it was going into Starbucks or walking across the stage at graduation. She had an untouchable confidence that turned on many men but also terrified others to no end. She knew what she wanted and she was going to get it.

When Gabriella walked into the bank she felt all eyes on her. She waited to see a teller, licking her lips. She stepped up when she was told. She had a small bag where Chad kept some of his personal finance accounts. He had her take him to the bank, doing whatever he needed. It was a normal task, going to the bank. She didn't really think anything of it.

"Hi! How can I help you?" The teller asked.

"I'm Gabriella Montez here for Chad Danforth." Gabriella explained. She took out the accounts from the small bag. She handed them under the window. She stood there while the woman checked them over.

"There is three checks written to the business account ending in 254. Correct?"

"Correct." Gabriella confirmed. "We'd also like an unofficial audit of both of the accounts."

"Yes, ma'am." The teller said with a smile. "No problem."

She tapped her fingers impatiently. She was handed receipts and a small stack of paper. "Thank you." She put it into her messenger bag and pulled out her bank card and the check that Troy wrote her. "I need to deposit this in my personal account. Here's the card."

"Of course Miss Montez." She accepted the check and the card. She made the deposit and handed me back the card and a receipt. "Anything else?"

"No. Thank you for all your help." Gabriella said with a tight smile. She turned and walked away before the teller could reply. She walked back to her car and sat in the drivers seat. She put the receipt and her card in her purse. She flipped through the Danforth's business account. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except fro a random check for fifty thousand dollars.

Gabriella frowned to herself. She wondered if that's what Danforth was paying the mole. A small smirk was brought to her face. An idea formulated in her head. She tossed the papers aside and buckled her seatbelt. She drove back to Danforth Enterprises. She parked in her normal spot and walked inside with her bag and the stack of papers.

"Gabi! Back so soon." Chad said with a grin. "Everything at the bank go okay?"

"Everything went perfectly." Gabriella confirmed with a smile. She handed over the papers. "I have your audits and receipts."

"Thank you Gabriella. You're the best."

She smiled. "Something came up that I have to handle. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Alright." Danforth said. "I'm going to get going anyway. I have lunch with my parents today. Make sure everything is okay when you get back."

"Will do." Gabriella said, walking out of the room. She walked over to her desk and made sure everything was neat. She saw Danforth walking out of the floor. She followed him from a distance making sure he drove away before she headed across the street.

She walked with confidence to the elevator. She pressed the top button and unbuttoned her top a little bit to show some cleavage. She put on some fresh lipstick and checked her makeup. The doors opened and she walked back to Troy's office with a purpose.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" A voice stopped her.

She turned and looked at the girl sitting at the desk. "I'm going to see Mr. Bolton."

"Can I have your name, please?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Ms. Montez."

The girl pressed a couple buttons on her phone. "Hello Mr. Bolton, it's Samantha. There's a Ms. Montez here looking for you. Should I let her in?" Samantha listened in. "Okay. Of course. I'll see you after lunch. Thank you sir." She hung up the phone and looked up at Gabriella. "You can go in."

Gabriella gave her a fake smile. "Thank you, Samantha."

She walked into Troy Bolton's office, closing the door behind her. "You look ravishing Ms. Montez." He murmured when she turned to face him. "To what do I owe this visit?"

Gabriella smiled sweetly. "Can't a girl just come over and say hi?" She asked, walking around his desk. She hopped up on it, crossing her legs.

"No." He said with an amused smirk. "Not when you work for Danforth."

"Mmm." She hummed sliding off the desk. "Good point."

She slid off the desk into his lap. She leaned down kissing his lips firmly. She ran her fingers through his hair. She noticed the lack of product. His hair was so soft. She tangled her fingers through his hair, pulling his head to the side. She kissed his exposed neck, sucking on random spots to find his most sensitive one.

Troy let out a soft groan when she made contact with his earlobe. She smirked as she caressed it with her tongue. The hand that was pressed against his chest fell to his lap, rubbing his crotch slowly. "You know this little sexual game you've been playing?" Gabriella asked, nibbling on his ear.

"Yes." He breathed out in response. Her fingers were working to undo his belt. She unzipped his pants, slipping her small hand in there.

"You're not the only one playing baby." She murmured, kissing his lips as she slid down his lap. She pulled out his erection slowly kneeling in front of him. She smirked, stroking him slowly. "Somebody's happy to see me." His breathing was erratic and she was just touching him. She rubbed her thumb over the tip of his penis slowly and teasingly.

Troy licked his dry lips. "I'm always happy to see you." He mumbled. He let out a breath when her warm tongue circled the tip of his penis. 'Oh dear god." Troy mumbled, covering his mouth. She slid him in her mouth slowly. He almost couldn't take it; the sucking and licking, especially the speed of it all.

She released him with a small pop, stroking him with one hand. "I have a proposition for you." She said, spitting on him for lubrication. She gripped him tighter and decided to stoke faster.

"Okay." He managed to get out. He shut his eyes tightly. "Go on."

She slid him back in her mouth and sucked on him quickly. She gripped his thigh with one hand to keep her balance. Her other was wrapped around his penis, stroking while she went down on him. She ran her tongue across the tip of his penis, collecting the pre-cum on her tongue. She swallowed, licking her lips. "I want another eighty thousand."

"What?" He asked his eyes popping open. "Why?"

"I have a piece of vital information in your investigation." She said, massaging his heavy balls before wrapping her hand around his erection. "I want eighty thousand more dollars. Can you give that to me?" Gabriella asked him, smiling innocently.

"Jesus." He murmured. He froze when he heard the doorknob jingling. He forced her under the desk and scooted in his chair.

"Hi, Troy." Kelsi came walking in. "Where's Samantha?"

"I told her to take an early lunch." Troy closed his eyes when Gabriella put him back in her mouth under the desk. He dropped his hand to his thigh and gripped her hair. "Is that a problem, Kelsi?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"A-are you okay, Troy?" She asked, frowning. "You look a little flushed."

Troy shook his head. "I'm not feeling too well actually. I'm pretty tired. Can you get me some coffee?"

"The usual?" Kelsi asked.

He nodded. "Yes and can you get me some soup from the place I like… across town?" He opened his eyes trying to breath evenly. She took his deeper in his mouth. He covered his mouth with his free hand. "Please?"

"Sure thing, I'll probably be back in forty-five depending on traffic." Kelsi said. "See you later Troy."

He held his breath until Kelsi walked out the door, shutting it behind her. He pushed his chair back and Gabriella stared up at him with innocent eyes, taking him as deep into her mouth as she could. "You're going to kill me baby." He panted, pulling back her curls.

"You never answered my question." She said matter-of-factly when she released him from her mouth. "80 thousand is nothing compared to seven million." She said with a smirk. "What do you say?" She asked, squeezing him tenderly as she stroked.

Troy just nodded as he licked his lips. "You have a deal." She smiled in satisfaction. She wrapped her mouth around him and stroked him quickly. She sucked on him firmly, stroking the same. Troy could barely handle it. His unraveling was coming soon, he could feel it. "Good lord baby girl. Your mouth feels amazing." He murmured, gripping her hair tighter.

She smirked at him, kissing the head of his penis. "Come for me." She said lowly. He groaned in response, pushing her head back toward his dick. She hummed as she took him in her mouth again. She sucked him like a pro. He had never had head as incredible as this. Maybe it was the fact that they could get caught again or that it was in his office where he worked everyday.

Troy groaned at the thought, feeling his peak. "Oh God, I'm coming." He warned, squeezing her hair between his fingers. He grunted every time he spurted more seed into her warm mouth. She kept her mouth around him until he was completely finished.

She sat up, leaning over his lap. She opened her mouth, showing him the cum in her mouth. She shut her mouth, swallowing it with ease. She looked back down to his lap. She tucked his penis back into his boxers and zipped up his pants. She took a seat back on his lap. She ran her fingers through his hair before she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "I was doing Danforth's finances. I saw a strange check for fifty grand. I think that's what he's paying whoever under the table."

Troy nodded, smirking slowly. "Danforth is always cheap." He said, moving her hair away from her neck. He kissed a spot on her neck gently. "You're amazing, do you know that Ms. Montez?"

"I surely do." She said, turning in his lap. She kissed his lips slowly tilting her head slightly. He licked her bottom lip and she met his tongue with hers. She licked his tongue once before pulling away. "I gotta get back to work. I'll come collect my check in a couple of days." She kissed his lips again gently. "You're welcome."

Troy watched as Gabriella fixed her clothes. She blew him a kiss and walked out of the door. She made her way towards the elevator. She looked back briefly before accidentally running into a solid body in front of her. She froze for a minute as she saw who was in front of her.

"Aren't you?…" The man trailed off.

"I'm handling some business." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's your excuse?"

"I work here." He said, quietly. "What kind of business?"

"None of your damn business." She said, firmly.

"Hey Baylor! Drinks after work?" A man said, walking by.

"Sure thing." The man in front of me replied.

"See ya later Zeke." The other man walked away.

Gabriella turned and walked towards the elevator, pressing the button to go down. She stepped in once it opened. She waved to Zeke as the doors closed. She fixed her hair before the doors opened. She walked confidently out of Bolton's building over to Danforth's. She beat her boss back to the office. She smiled to herself, feeling accomplished.

* * *

The next day she got into the office early. She saw Zeke walking out of Danforth's office again. She went straight to her desk, letting the other man leave before she approached her boss. She grabbed his coffee and knocked on his closed door. She walked in when he said it was okay. "Good morning." She said with a wide smile.

"Morning Gabi." He said with a wide smile. "Anything new?"

"Nope. I'm just excited to see Taylor this weekend. We're looking at houses." Gabi said, handing him his coffee.

"She told me. I can't wait till she's here." Chad said with a dreamy smile.

She smiled back. "She misses you a lot. You're all she talks about." Chad grinned proudly, shaking his head. "Hey, who was that guy that was just leaving? I don't think I've seen him around before."

"He doesn't work here. He's just a friend. He does me some favors that's all. I knew him from college. Played some ball with me. He was my right hand man, especially when Bolton got hurt." Chad said, waving his hand. "We go way back."

She nodded, frowning slightly. She realized she had no idea who Troy Bolton was. She knew of him but she didn't really know him. She barely knew the guy and put his dick in her mouth. It was to get to her dream ultimately. "Right." She said. "I was thinking about applying for the open position in your executive board."

Danforth frowned suddenly. "What? Why?"

"Pays more, better hours…" She trailed off.

Danforth shook his head. "It's way more work. Besides, I love that you're my assistant. You're good at what you do and I need someone like you close to me."

"May I ask why?" She said hesitantly.

"You're something that Bolton doesn't have. You're a genius Gabi. Of course I'll keep you close." Chad said, with a small smile.

"Can I ask what happened between you and Bolton?" Gabriella asked, looking up at him.

Chad winced. "That is not a fun story to tell. It's long and tedious and complicated." He rolled his eyes. "Not worth my breath."

She frowned slightly. "Sorry for asking. Anything special you need today?"

Chad rolled around his desk looking for something. "Aha!" He pulled out a paper and highlighted something. "Close these for me tonight."

"Okay." Gabi said, taking the paper. "Call me if you need anything." She murmured, reading the list. She walked over to her desk and started the work that had piled up on her desk.

Gabriella frowned to herself when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket a couple hours later. "Hello?" She answered quietly.

"Are you free for lunch?" Troy's warm voice asked.

"Working through lunch." She said shortly. "Sorry."

Troy sighed. "Dinner?"

"Nope." Gabi said, smirking slightly. She loved teasing him.

"What? Why not?" He asked.

"Because I'm cooking myself dinner tonight."

"You can cook for me too."

"No." She said, letting out a small giggle. "Look I have to work."

"Come on, one meal." He said.

She smirked. "I never took you for a beggar."

"I'm usually not." He admitted. "But when it comes to you, I do things I don't normally do."

"Same." Gabriella breathed out. "We have McCloud and Gomez under our belts. You better do something." She whispered. "Talk to you later." She hung up her phone and picked up the sandwich on her desk, taking the first bite.

* * *

Troy was pissed off, beyond pissed off. He was angry and upset and he didn't feel like dealing with anybody today. He had to go to work though. He had money to make, contracts to close and programs to donate to. He had no reason to be as angry as he was. Gabriella had warned him about the contracts but they still went with Danforth anyway. He really needed to take control of his business.

He tried not to drink at work but he had some emergency scotch in his safe. He took a swig from the bottle and grimaced. He wasn't a big drinker and scotch was definitely not his drink of choice. Somebody gave it to him as a present and he kept it in his office just in case.

He closed the safe under his desk and ran his fingers through his hair. He had to get to the staff meeting that was starting in two minutes. He checked his watch and stood up. He grabbed the papers he needed and walked out of his office to the meeting room.

His employees were sitting there, talking amongst themselves when they walked in. Troy just took a seat at the end of the table next to Kelsi. He propped his chin up on his fist. The room suddenly became quiet as they all turned to stare at their boss. Troy shrugged at them. "I really don't know what to tell you all." He said. "I told you last time we lost seven million on one contract. We lost another last night. Now can somebody tell me what is going on?"

"What do you mean, sir?" Arthur Simpson asked. He was Troy's oldest employee. He had a lot of nerve but he worked ten times harder than his young peers.

"I mean, I want to know how Danforth is getting the names of our exclusive clients. Can somebody tell me that?" Troy asked, looking at each one of the men in the room. "I am sick and tired of losing contracts to Danforth, we've been in business longer. We produce more revenue and we have so much more to offer than Danforth. I just don't get it."

"What do you expect us to do?" Garret Hart asked.

"I expect you to do your damn job. It shouldn't matter if he has the names. It shouldn't matter. But their people can sell. I'm sure you all have retail backgrounds. You all talk a lot of bullshit. You are supposed to sell our company. Make them want to become a part of Bolton and Associates." Troy stood up. "Here is what we're going to do. One by one you're going to have to sell me Bolton and associates or I'm firing you on the spot."

"That's unfair!" Hart piped up again.

"You know what is unfair. Me, wasting my god damn time closing contracts when that's what I pay you to do. That's what. You think I sit in my office and do nothing? I have ten times more shit to do than any one of you guys. So I'm taking a chunk out of my day to do this bullshit. I have a whole list of replacements waiting for this job." Troy said firmly. He looked over at Kelsi. "Can you get me a cup of coffee, please?"

"Yes sir." She said, getting up.

"When she gets back, we're starting with you Hart. You have five minutes to prepare." Troy said, dismissing the men at the table.

* * *

**This was supposed to be up yesterday but nothing was cooperating with me. So, Don't forget to review.**


	4. love?

Gabriella Montez was the last one in the office. She slowly sipped her coffee, looking out the window at Bolton's building. It'd been a while since she'd seen him. He'd called her last night asking her if she wanted to go to dinner. She denied. She couldn't help but admit that she liked Bolton. Despite what Chad thought of him, Troy was a good man. He cared about his work and his employees. She did a little research on Troy. He was an avid philanthropist and he donated a lot to East High and University of Albuquerque.

Something caught her eye. A well dressed man walked out of the front of the building and stood in front of a car. She smirked to herself. It had to be Troy. She watched him light his cigarette and lean against his car. She took another sip just watching him smoke. He was so handsome. He had a certain quality about him that she was attracted to.

"Maybe it's his relentless attempts of asking me out." She mused aloud as she heard her cell phone ring. She smirked when she saw the name. She answered. "Hello?"

"Still working?" His warm voice greeted.

"How'd you know?" She asked dryly with a small smile on her face.

"Your car is still here." Troy said. "Did Danforth leave?"

"Hours ago." She shared. "You should really stop smoking." She said, watching him. She saw him look up, trying to search for her but was unsuccessful. "I love one way windows."

"Who's the stalker now?" Troy joked.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Still you. You're just nice to look at."

"As are you Ms. Montez." Troy shared, taking another puff from his cigarette. "So are you going to have a late dinner with me tonight?"

"Can't, I'm working." She said, biting back her urge to laugh.

"Hardly working if you're on the phone." Troy said, looking up again. "Which room are you in?"

"A room that you can't get to babe. He's got security everywhere. I'm sure Van the door man is staring you down."

"It's not my fault he bought the building across from mine."

"Maybe you should just move and build a new building." Gabriella offered.

"I've thought about it. Believe me. Main street is prime location for business." Troy threw down his cigarette, stomping on it. "It's close to Starbucks."

"I'm surprised you haven't built one in your building."

"If I did then the one on the corner would be out of business." Troy said before he sighed. "When will you agree to go to dinner with me? I'm dying to take you out."

"Maybe when we find out. I'm already breaching my contract." She said, taking another sip of her coffee.

Troy grinned. "If it's a job you want then you can have any one you want… well except mine."

"I'll think about it."

"I'm going to cook you dinner on Saturday." Troy said firmly. "At my place. My parents are going to see my sister so we can have the house to ourselves."

Gabriella smiled. "You live at mommy and daddy's house?"

"No baby, Mom and Dad live at my house. They're getting older and I don't want them wasting their money on a house when I have a practically empty one. My parents and I have a great relationship. They make sure I don't work too much and eat." Troy murmured. "I have to get going because the door man is staring me down. Call me when you get home and we can talk later."

"Okay. I'll call you back soon." Gabriella said. "Bye"

"Bye gorgeous." He said with a small smirk before hanging up. She rolled her eyes, smiling to herself. She set down her phone and took another sip of her coffee.

* * *

Troy Bolton hopped into his car and drove home. He had a stressful day at work but after talking to Gabriella he felt giddy. He walked in with a big smile on his face. He loosened his tie as he walked into the kitchen. "You smell like cigarettes." His mother murmured.

"Bad habit." He said with a lazy grin. "What's for dinner?"

"Roast." She said.

"My favorite." He said, kissing her cheek.

"Everything I cook is your favorite." Lucy said, shaking her head.

"And you're complaining why?" Troy asked with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Wash up, dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

"Yes ma'am." Troy said before he headed up the stairs to his room. He stopped in his room, looking out of the window. The view from his room saw over Albuquerque. He breathed out watching the lights of town flicker. He walked into his bathroom, jumping in a quick shower. He put on some shorts and an old Wildcats t-shirt.

He walked back down to the dinner table where his mom was making herself a plate. "Hey Troy." His dad greeted, putting some meat on his plate.

"Hey dad." Troy took his usual seat and poured the awaiting soda into the glass of ice. He took a long sip. "How was your day?"

"Good, Can't wait until finals week." Jack murmured, piling some potatoes on his plate as well.

"Only a couple more weeks right?" Troy asked, standing up. He started filling his plate. "Are you excited to go see Emily?"

"She wishes you were coming too. Karlie is dying to see her Uncle Troy." Lucy said with a frown before she started eating.

"I wish I was too." Troy said. "I have too much going off to be away for a whole weekend. Next month I'm doing business over there, I'll probably go see them then."

"Find the mole yet?" Dad asked.

Troy shook his head, chewing thoughtfully. "I'm having people work on it. Hopefully I'll find out soon."

"Yeah, you don't want to go on too long loosing contracts." Dad said.

"No business until I go to sleep." Lucy scolded her boys. "I was thinking about Jamaica for the vacation we were planning."

Troy smiled. "Wherever you want to go mama."

Lucille smile. "You spoil me."

"You deserve it. You both do. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Troy hummed in appreciation as he ate his food with a smile.

His parents looked at each other then eyed their son suspiciously. "You seem awfully happy."

Troy looked up, surprised. "What?"

"You seem really happy. May I ask why?" His mother asked slowly.

Troy tried to hide his smile and shrugged. "No reason."

"The last time I saw you smile this much was when you won the second East High championship." His father said. "Tell us what's going on. Is it that girl?"

"What girl?" Lucy asked, looking from her husband to her son. "There's a girl?"

"He was telling me about a girl, Lu." Jack said, smiling over at his wife.

Troy sighed. "I guess I should just tell you."

Lucille frowned. "I'm upset you haven't told me already."

"We're not together or anything. We're just kind of talking and doing business. She's something special." Troy said, putting another fork full of food in his mouth.

"Tell me more." His mother insisted.

"Well what do you want to know?" Troy asked, chuckling slightly.

"Name, Occupation, Education, where she grew up… Need I go on?" Lucy said with a small smirk. She took a small sip of the water she was drinking.

Troy sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Her name is Gabriella. She went to Stanford and Yale. She grew up in San Diego and she's Danforth's PA."

"His what?" Lucy asked, frowning.

"Personal Assistant." Troy said innocently. He took another bite, chewing slowly as his parents just looked at him.

"I think you're playing with fire son." Jack said after the quiet moment passed.

Troy sighed. "I know but ever since I first saw her… I just had to get to know her. Now that we're kind of talking… I can't leave her alone."

Lucy smiled. "Oh honey, you're in love."

Troy choked on his food. "Excuse me what?"

"Love Troy. You're in love."

"Ma! I barely know this girl. I keep asking her out and she keeps turning me down."

"But you still pursue her." Lucy pointed out. "She'll come around. You're too handsome to pass up."

Troy snorted. "Thanks mom."

"What?"

"I need friends my own age."

"Well if you and Chad got over this-"

Troy's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to talk about him, mom."

"I'm just saying-"

Jack sighed. "Don't push it Lu. They're both stubborn idiots." He said simply. "This is great roast by the way."

"Thanks Honey." Lucille said with a small smile.

Troy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks Mom."

After dinner was over, Troy went up to his room. He figured he'd try to get some sleep. He'd changed into some shorts and laid in his bed. He couldn't remember the last time he just laid in bed without worrying about work. He would be now, he mused, if Gabriella hadn't taken over his every thought. He was becoming obsessed. It scared him that he could possibly scare her away.

"Oh god." He groaned aloud. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe he was in love. He'd never been before. He'd had a couple of girlfriends, nothing moderately serious. He'd never told a girl, other than his mom, sister, and niece that he loved them. He hoped that maybe, one day, Gabriella could possibly feel the same.

His phone vibrated from his night stand. A slow grin appeared on his face when he saw the name. Maybe she could feel the same, he reasoned to himself before he answered. "Hello gorgeous, couldn't get enough of me, could you?"

Gabriella snorted on the line. "Get over yourself Bolton."

"Only if you get under me."

"You're disgusting."

"You're pretty."

Gabriella was smiling to herself. "What are you doing?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Laying in my bed, thinking about you."

"I hope they're PG thoughts." She said with a small smirk.

"Most of the time they're not, but today they surprisingly were." He murmured into the phone. "I just want to know the things about you that I can't get from the internet."

"All you have to do is ask." She said, shifting in her bed to get comfortable.

"Well that was easy." He mused aloud. She rolled her eyes to herself. "Okay, what is your favorite color?"

"Really? Favorite color?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yes, now tell me."

"Mmm… Yellow."

Troy crinkled his forehead. "I pictured you for a purple type girl. Why yellow?"

She shrugged to herself. "It reminds me of summer and the beach. It reminds me of back home in San Diego, happiness and all that good stuff."

Troy chuckled. "The desert isn't hot enough for you?"

"The heat is fine. I just miss the beach. I'd spend hours on the beach… all year round."

"Sounds wonderful." He murmured. He hadn't spent much time on the beach other than on vacations. It was nice but the sand got everywhere. He'd take the sand if he could see her in a bikini all day. "We'll have to go to the beach together someday."

"What is your favorite color, Mr. Bolton?"

"Red." He said simply. "East High's colors were Red and White. We were the Wildcats." He smiled to himself thinking about high school and the good ol' days. "It's the color of love, heat and passion. I'm a very passionate person in everything I do."

"I've seen pictures in Danforth's office. The basketball team holding the big trophy. You look really happy and so does he. The only other time I've seen Chad smile that big is when he's with Taylor." Gabriella said, recalling the pictures she saw.

Troy sighed quietly. "Everything is easier in high school."

"Can I ask you a question, Troy?" Gabriella asked quietly.

"Of course."

"What happened with you and Chad?"

Troy closed his eyes briefly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course. Neither of you would tell me."

Troy rubbed his face, giving in. "It all started after we won the championship game senior year. Chad was being indecisive about which college he wanted to go to. He had multiple scholarship offers. He was deciding whether to go to a school somewhere in Louisiana, North Carolina, or U of A. " Troy started. "I was completely fine with whatever he would have picked. He was practically my brother. I'd support him anyway."

Gabriella hummed a noise to let him know she was listening. "I had multiple offers too. CAL Berkeley, Texas, Boston… Pretty much all around the US. My dad was so focused on me going to U of A and playing for the Red Hawks that everybody just assumed that I was going to go there."

"Okay…" Gabriella said slowly. She really didn't understand what the big problem was.

"Chad and I were going to hang out at the park and play hoops one afternoon. I told him I was thinking about going to Berkeley instead of going to U of A. Chad didn't like it, of course. He'd already signed with U of A a couple days earlier. He didn't want me to go however long it was to California while he was stuck in Albuquerque. I was talking to him on the phone when I crashed my car." Troy said with a sigh. "Well it was more like yelling at each other. We hadn't talked for a couple of days after I told him. I signed with U of A a day before my crash. I didn't want to leave my brother behind."

"Do you blame him for the accident?" She asked quietly, trying to make sense of all this.

"No, not at all. My dumbass was talking on the phone and driving. I really wasn't paying attention. I never had the chance to tell him I was going to U of A regardless. I was so close to dying, Gabriella. The doctors said I did for a few minutes but they were able to save me." Troy said slowly. He swallowed thickly. "He wasn't there when I woke up. He knew damn well that I would have never left if the roles were reversed. My dad said he'd been there a couple of times to see me but I was so pissed off I didn't care."

Gabriella sighed, frowning.

"I don't expect much from Chad you know but if your brother is in the hospital you fight with them. Everything seemed like the end of the world when you were a teenager. The doctors said I had some hope for playing again. I had six reconstructive surgeries on both my knees. I went though three years of physical therapy. I still had hope, you know, of playing. I'd come to all the games. Watch the away games on TV. I looked over practice sometimes. I saw Chad living out our dreams without me. It was hard to watch." Troy admitted slowly. "By the time junior year of college rolled around, I didn't go to that many games. I'd given up all hope of ever playing basketball. I withdrew myself from the team and Chad. He was busy with Basketball and I was still trying to walk normally."

"Were you in a wheel chair?" She asked curiously.

"I was until I had my final surgery and healed. It was about a year and a half. I couldn't walk, I couldn't even hold my weight up." He answered. He sighed. "Chad and I always had this type of sibling rivalry. We were the only brothers we had cause we both had older sisters. He was focusing on basketball while I focused on school. I became a hermit for the last two years of college. I soaked up everything I could. I enrolled for my masters while starting up my own company. I was doing school online and stretching myself thin. Chad was lost without basketball. He didn't know how to just focus on school so he dropped out halfway into the first semester of graduate school."

"We grew apart." Troy said. "We hadn't crossed paths for a couple of months. I was getting a lot of business and I was about halfway done with my masters. One Christmas, I think it was about three or four years ago, we all had Christmas at my parents old house. His family, my family, we were close. Our parents still are. But he announced he was opening up his own business… which was similar to mine. I was happy for him, getting on his feet, whatever. He started joking around saying he was going to steal my employees. I just brushed it off. A couple days later I got two people putting in their notices to leave. I found that kind of suspicious, but I didn't think anything of it. Next thing I knew people were quitting on me left and right before I even had time to hire replacements."

Troy let out a breath of air. He was starting to get heated and needed to calm down. "I met Kelsi then. She smacked some sense into me like she usually does. She said Troy you just need to put new business on hold for a minute and hire new employees, train them correctly and you'll have no problem. She was right of course. It worked like a charm. I got back on top and Chad and I loathed each other since. Half of the time it's just petty shit that gets underneath our skin. Half of the time I wonder how we got like this when we were so close. I know this sounds corny as hell but I trusted him not to stab me with the metaphorical knife he was holding to my back. But he did. I wish I could forgive him and forget and we could be like brothers again but he does shit like this and I just want to hit him."

Gabriella sighed. "I'm sorry. You both are good people. Chad just wants everything and I'm sorry he hurt on in the process of getting that. I wish you two would kiss and make up, it would make my life a hell of a lot easier."

Troy smiled. "Sorry babe, I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

"I know." She said softly. "Tell me another story. A happier one."

Troy chuckled. "Why? Because I'm such an eloquent speaker?"

"No." She said, closing her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Because your stories are putting me to sleep."

Troy scoffed. "That is just rude."

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle. "I'm just being honest, babe."

"Great." He said sarcastically.

"If it helps, it's because your voice is relaxing. That story wasn't too boring."

"I just pour my heart out to you and you stomp all over it."

She giggled. "Sorry baby. I'll kiss it and make it better."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that." Troy said with a small smirk. "I have a couple areas I wouldn't mind your lips on."

Gabriella rolled my eyes. "You just had to ruin our nice conversation, didn't you?."

* * *

**I know i said the new story would be out this week but i'm still working on a title and description for it. Besides y'all have been loving this story which i am so happy for. I love y'all. Don't forget to review.**


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